A few years ago, I decided to make Londyn a sensory bin to keep her busy when it was cold outside. Fast forward to now and even at the age of almost 4 she loves them so much that I now make them weekly! I have so much fun switching the themes out, have since then gotten her a sensory table + lots of little things to make her bins.
Sensory bin must haves
I started sharing pictures of them over on my IG page and people are always asking me how I do them, so I decided it was worth putting together a little blog post. The one bit of feedback I always get on sensory bins is that they take too much time to make and are too messy, two things which I have found to be untrue! Sensory bins can be as easy or complicated as you make them and can be mess-free or messy as you choose! They truly can be whatever you want- the only secret is to make them something that your little one is interested in.
Some of Londyns favorite sensory bins weren’t fancy or elaborate, but were just things that she really liked. Below, I have shared some affiliate links of all my sensory bin must haves as well as some easy sensory bin ideas that I have done in the past.
What is a sensory bin?
A sensory bin is a “little station” set up for a toddler with a sensory activity, such as colored water, rice, or play doh that allow for open ended play. There are not rules to sensory bins, as long as they allow for imaginative play that your little one will enjoy.
Sensory bin must haves
To create sensory bins, you really don’t need a lot. Keep it simple with things like food coloring, colored rice, play doh and other sensory items until you figure out what your little one likes playing with during their sensory bin play time. Below are my sensory bin must haves. These are things that I keep in my sensory bin closet and am always pulling from to make different themed sensory bins.
A sensory table
We got our sensory table from Ikea, but there are so many options now including some on Amazon! I love it so much, but it’s always OOS so I was lucky to get one so fast. I personally don’t have one from Amazon, but I know lots of people rave about them and they seem very comparable to the Ikea one that I have. There are also now smaller, tabletop versions of sensory tables that are also great if you are looking for something more portable and easier to put away.
Sensory bin fillers
I have found that sensory bin fillers can be literally anything but I do have a few things that I like. Although you can make your own colored rice, I currently have not done this but have gotten some from Etsy. For the tools (little bowls, scoopers, etc.) I found some silicon ones that I really like from Amazon. Other themed items I get at Target in the dollar section, the Dollar Tree & Hobby Lobby. I have never spent more than $10 at a time on fillers & many times you probably already have things around your house that you can pull together to make themes. Other sensory bin tools can include things like little droppers, toddler tweezers, small scoops & colored bowls and other small kitchen like items.
The biggest thing with sensory bins I’ve learned so far is to mentally prepare yourself for “rewarding messes”. I call it this because although they inspire a lot of learning + play time, they are very messy! As long as you are prepared for a little sweeping afterwards- I truly encourage any toddler mama to give them a try!
Sensory bins for 1 year olds
Sensory bins for 1 year old can be super simple and imaginative! Think about things like little bowls and scoopers to allow for imaginative play. Ideas for sensory bins for one year olds are below:
- Ice cream sensory bin with play doh
- Colored water sensory bin with food coloring
- Create themed sensory bins with their favorite little toys or books
Sensory Bin Ideas for toddlers
Sharing below some easy sensory bin activity ideas that I loved doing when I first started making sensory bins for my toddler. Lots of these play ideas are easy to recreate with things you most likely already have at home! Below is a list of sensory bin ideas for easy sensory play that are fun and easy to do, with minimal prep.
- Color themed sensory bin
- Animal matching sensory bin
Color matching sensory bin
Another easy educational sensory bin, a color matching bin, is easy to make with anything colored you have in your house. Use large pom poms, construction paper, colored rice, play doh, etc. to make fun color matching games that your toddler can easily do.
Counting Sensory Bin
Counting sensory bins are some of my favorite to make. I created this butterfly counting sensory bin with a printable sensory bin set that I sell on my Etsy, linked here. Counting sensory bins are fun because you can practice counting with your little, numbers, easy addition and so much more!
Sensory bins for preschoolers
Sensory bins for preschoolers include more early learning activities, such as the alphabet, learning letters, as well as sorting colors and shapes. Ideas are below:
- Shape sorting sensory bin
- Easy pattern recognition sensory bin
- Weather sensory bin
- Book themed sensory bins
ABC Sensory Bin
Another favorite of mine, alphabet sensory bins are so great for practicing letters! These are really easy to make if you already have an alphabet puzzle, some rice and some colored objects. For this one, I also added some alphabet flash cards that I sell on my Etsy shop, linked here.
I hope the above helped inspire you to make some fun, fantastic sensory bins for your little ones. Whether you use simple sensory bin filler like shredded paper, or even create a fancy sensory bin using colored rice filler, as long as you are encouraging open ended play for your little then you sensory bin is already great! Want even more ideas? Find more sensory bin ideas that I have done in the past here!
XO,
B
